


Getting Your Money's Worth.

by jezebel



Category: Queer as Folk (UK)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-15
Updated: 2010-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-13 05:39:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jezebel/pseuds/jezebel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody has their price.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Your Money's Worth.

***

"I still don't understand why I am doing this." Vince said as he stood in front of the mirror in the Armani tux that Stuart had insisted on buying for him. "Stuart is the bloke that gets the most shags."

"That's true." Alexander replied as he tried to decide between a red and blue cummerbund. "But the problem is that Stuart has worked his way through most of Canal Street. None of the eligible men would touch him with a barge pole."

"But why me?" Vince asked self-consciously. "Why did you have to sign me up for this?"

"You think that I would put my own name down?" Alexander asked scandalised that Vince would even suggest such a thing. "I don't want to appear desperate."

"Oh, but it's alright for me to look desperate." Vince replied. "Thanks a lot."

"No." Alexander replied. "It makes me look magnanimous, passing up all of those hot, rich men who are looking for a date so that my best friend can see a little action."

"Still leaves me looking desperate." Vince replied.

"Oh, Vince." Alexander said, shaking his head. "You don't get it at all do you?"

Vince was about to ask what it was that he didn't get when Stuart returned to the cubicle, pulling the curtain open without even checking if Vince was decent or not. Vince supposed that Stuart didn't care if his friend was naked. He had seen it all before and alas it had no effect on Stuart. 'No blood' or something.

"Christ, Vince, you're not even dressed." Stuart said. "The manager wants to wrap it up so that we can take it home with us. Alex, go find a black bow tie for Vince. He's about a 16" collar."

Vince was surprised that Stuart knew his sizes. He shouldn't have been because Stuart bought him clothes all the time but he assumed that Sandra had the sizes written somewhere for when Stuart went on a spree. She usually accompanied him because she loved shopping as much as he did and Stuart was known to treat people when he wanted to shop. Alexander didn't argue, although he thought that Vince would look better in the red, Stuart was paying and he had offered to buy Alexander something if he let Stuart make the decisions.

Vince was a little disconcerted that this left him alone with Stuart in the closed confines of the dressing room.

"You look good." Stuart complimented as he his arms around Vince's waist and continued to button his shirt.

Vince felt his nipples tighten as Stuart's hands brushed the cool cotton of the shirt against his skin. He could smell the lemony essence of Stuart's cologne and it was rare that Stuart complimented him.

"I look like a complete twat." Vince replied. "I don't even know why I agreed to do this."

"You did it because you're kind and generous and you know that Peter would have wanted you to do it if he were still alive." Stuart said seriously.

Vince felt a lump rise in his throat at the words. Stuart rarely spoke like this and even more rarely did he do it so intimately. As he spoke the words his arms tightened around Vince until he was held closely in an embrace. Vince willed his cock to stay flaccid while Stuart took the comfort that he clearly needed. The moment was about so much more than sex and Vince did not want to belittle it by thinking about the fact that Stuart was pressed up against him.

"God, I miss him." Stuart said sadly. "I didn't think I would, but you know, that's five now..."

"Peter?" Vince asked, wondering when Stuart had had him. He knew what Stuart was talking about because he had made a similar reference at Phil's funeral.

"Shit, yeah." Stuart said as he moved out of the hug and reached for the jacket, holding it out for Vince to slip on. "He and Andrew were my first threesome, I must only have been 17."

"You never said." Vince replied.

He remembered them being out when they were seventeen and Stuart hadn't mentioned having a threesome with the two older men. Peter and Andrew had been the King and Queen of Canal Street before they got tired of the scene and went off travelling. Everyone knew who they were and everyone had mourned the passing of both of them within such a short space of time. The truth was that most people thought they had not been able to live without each other.

"Too scared." Stuart replied. "It was a little overwhelming to be with both of them."

"It was good though?" Vince asked. He didn't usually ask for details about Stuart's shags but it was obvious that Stuart needed to talk about this and Vince wanted to try and understand.

"Yeah." Stuart said, a small smile spreading across his face. "Peter fucked me so hard I could barely sit for a week. He took me out to dinner the next week and fucked me again, just him then, but it was still good."

"I think you're right." Vince said, feeling a little uncomfortable to be talking like this about someone whose funeral they had attended only a few weeks before. "He would have liked this."

"He would have liked you, like this." Stuart said, indicating the tuxedo that fitted Vince so well. "He always did have a little crush on you."

"Stuart!" Vince chided, scandalised that Stuart would say such a thing.

"I got the black." Alexander said, entering the changing area and effectively ending the conversation between Stuart and Vince. Stuart took the cummerbund and bow tie and reached around Vince to finish dressing him. Alexander had to admit that the black was definitely the best choice. It was a classic and Vince carried it off well.

"Perfect." Stuart announced as he looked at Vince's reflection in the mirror.

Vince blushed at the attention and Stuart smiled.

"Right, you get those clothes off and I'll go and pay for them".

It wasn't exactly the way Vince had always wanted Stuart to ask him to strip but that wasn't likely to happen. He supposed that he would have to do with the moments like the one they had just shared where Stuart held him. It was moments like that which Vince treasured most because he knew Stuart shared them only with him.

He didn't feel so upset about the charity auction now because he knew that Stuart wanted him to do it and that Stuart would be there to watch him. He would do anything for Stuart and he knew that this was important to the other man. That was why he was buying Vince a suit which cost more than Vince earned in a month and why he was organising the publicity for the event free of charge.

Stuart may be a bastard with his shags but he was generous when it came to his friends. He slid his shirt off and willed his erection to subside. He hoped that he would not have the reaction when it came to putting the suit back on at the auction the next day.

***

The catwalk that they had arranged at Via Fosse looked very professional and Vince wondered how Stuart had managed to get so many young, rich and successful men to come out on a Saturday night to attend a charity auction. He supposed that Stuart's little black book was finally getting some use and he must have finally called back some of the men he had promised that to.

Vince recognised only a few faces in the crowd and hoped that one of them would purchase him for the evening. Although there were a few good looking strangers that he wouldn't mind giving a go. Alex was right that there had been a large number of men there that were shaggable.

Dane hadn't come down that weekend. He had argued that if he wanted to spend money on a date he would go down to Hampstead Heath and buy himself a rent boy. Vince was actually glad of that because it would be weird if Dane had tried to buy him. If they had ended up going out, and god forbid shagging, he would have never been able to look into Dane's permanently dour face again.

"You're up third." Hazel said as she came back to the dressing area and caused a slight disturbance as the half dressed men grabbed at clothes.

"Oh, give over." Vince said to the lot of them as a few of the more timid men blushed. The guys that knew Hazel rolled their eyes and carried on dressing.

"You look good." Hazel commented as she reached up and straightened his tie. Vince felt five again and remembered his Mum doing something similar on his first day of school. "I still can't believe that Irish Bastard talked you into this."

"It wasn't Stuart." Vince stated, defending Stuart as he always did. "Alex signed me up. Apparently he thinks that I can't get a date on my own."

"Well, it has been six months." Hazel replied.

"Shut it." Vince retorted, although the smile in his eyes belied his mock anger. It was true, it had been six months since he had shagged anyone, and not through want of trying but that didn’t mean that he needed his mother to highlight the fact.

"Maybe you'll meet a nice rich young thing." Hazel said. "If you do, give him my phone number."

Vince laughed, glad that his Mum was so understanding.

"Right then." Hazel said as she heard them announce the first 'date'. "I'd best get out front. Wouldn't want to miss my darling boy's stage debut, unless you count the time that you were the Inn Keeper in the Christmas nativity play, I still can't believe you invited Mary and Joseph in..."

Vince blushed slightly and shooed Hazel out front. The last thing he wanted was to remember the mistakes of his youth. He was nervous enough about going out there as it was.

The first man sold for £150.00 and Vince hoped that he did at least that well. The good thing about being close to the front was that people would still have money to spend but he wasn't sure if they would save their money early on to see what was to come. If Vince didn't get a good price then he would never live it down. It would be yet another reason for Stuart to mock him in front of their friends at the pub.

The second man went out and Vince took a step forward, watching the proceedings as Damien did his stuff.

The idea was to walk down to the end, do a twirl at the end of the catwalk and then stand front and centre while the bidding took place.

Damien was good looking. At 21 he was a few years younger than Vince and had a reputation as a really hot, tight fuck. Vince was a little too flabby for his age and thought that he could have benefited from the type of expensive orthodontistry that Stuart had at University. Still, Vince knew his flaws and hoped that he would at least break £100.

Damien seemed to have caught the eye of two people in the crowd and they were bidding quite high for him.

It went up to £250.00 before one of the bidders dropped out and Damien was finally sold.

He smiled down at his benefactor and stepped off stage to sit with the man. It was obvious that he was happy with his choice.

"Next up we have a Canal Street Favourite." The compere said. "You all know him as something of a scene Queen but we prefer to call him Vince Tyler."

Vince took that as his cue to step out and began his slow walk down the catwalk. He tried to get some of the swagger in his step that Stuart used but it didn't come as naturally to him as it did to his best friend. He hoped that he didn't look like a complete moron as he walked down and did his turn.

When he reached the end of the run way Vince turned to make his way back up and a familiar face at the back caught his eye. Vince tried to keep his smile true as he made his way to the central position and bidding began.

"Vince is an adorable man with a great sense of humour. He works hard and plays harder and lists his interests as dancing, shagging and Science Fiction." The compere said. "I swear, if the geeks at my school had looked this good I would have joined Science Club."

There was a polite titter amongst the crowd and then the compeer continued.

"Who'll start the bidding at £20."

Alex raised his hand, obviously feeling for Vince and Vince wondered if he looked wretched enough that no-one else would bid for him. There was a split second when he thought that he would only make this pity price before someone else bid.

"£25." A voice from the back of the room called.

"£30."

"£35"

Two people said together.

"£45" A familiar voice said, Vince looked out into the crowd and saw that he was not seeing things. He paled slightly as he realised that one of the men now bidding for him was Cameron. He wondered when the Australian had re-entered the country and what he was doing there that night. He also wondered why Cameron would pay to see him when he had broken up with him so cruelly.

"£75" Someone volleyed and Vince realised that the bidding was really taking off.

"£100"

"£110"

"£120"

The shouts continued until Vince made more than the first man and he smiled as he realised that he was going to make a good price for charity. He hoped that Peter would appreciate this.

A few of the cheaper bidders were eliminated as bidding passed £200. The bids slowed and Vince knew that he would eventually end up with one of the three men that was still bidding.

To Vince's despair one of the men was Cameron.

At £250 one of the other men shook his head and stepped back.

Now it was between Cameron and an older man that Vince did not recognise. The older man looked to be at least fifty, had a tweed jacket on and reminded Vince of a University professor but he would rather date the older man than sit through a meal with Cameron.

When Cameron put forward a bid of £275 the professor stepped back.

"Wow." The compeer said as Cameron made the bid. "I hope that the rumours are true where Vince is concerned."

"Trust me, he's worth it." Cameron said, a gleam in his eye.

"Does anyone else want to place a bid?" The compeer asked. "If not Vince is going to sell for the princely sum of £275."

Vince cringed slightly and looked out into the audience, hoping that someone else would take pity on him. £275 was a lot of money and he knew that he should be glad of that but he didn't want to spend another minute with Cameron Roberts.

Watching from his vantage point at the back of the room Stuart had watched all of this unfold and wondered if Vince would want this second chance with the man that he had dated briefly a year ago. Stuart should have let Vince have a better chance with Cameron and maybe this was his opportunity. He had not interfered for that reason but now as he saw the pain and uncertainty flit across Vince's face he knew he had to act.

Most of the audience would mistake Vince's smile for a happy one but Stuart knew differently. He knew Vince's expressions as well as he knew his own and this was Vince's fake smile. The one that he wore through most of his days at work and some of their evenings out.

"Going Once." The compeer said, reaching for the gavel that rested on his podium.

"Going Twice."

Vince took a deep breath and hoped that Cameron would settle for a quick meal. He didn't want much more and he certainly would not be putting out. A shag was not guaranteed because that would be prostitution. The bidders were only bidding for a dinner date and Vince wondered if there was something in the rules that would enable him to leave sooner.

"£500." A voice called from the back of the room.

A hush fell across the room as Stuart came forward, stepping right up to Cameron as he made his bid. He knew that the accountant did not have that kind of money to hand and that he would have to back down.

Cameron was stubborn though and thought through his savings. He had lost Vince to Stuart once already and he was not going to do it again.

"£600" Cameron replied, he had been saving for a holiday but what good was a vacation without Vince at his side.

"£750" Stuart said, raising the stakes more. He had more than enough money to make sure that this bastard stayed out of Vince's life for good.

"£800" Cameron countered. He could forego a few extras for the next couple of months.

"£1,000." Stuart said, pushing the bidding into four figures. He was more than willing to pay this much, he would give Vince anything if he just asked for it but Vince would never ask. This way he could give Vince a small amount of what he owed him by saving his dignity.

"Wow." The compeer said, giving Cameron some breathing space. "I can really smell the testosterone in here tonight."

Stuart grinned ferally as Cameron started to sweat. He knew that the Australian was full of shit.

Cameron took one long glance up at Vince on the stage and then turned his back.

"That's right." Stuart said. "Fuck Off!"

There was a roar in the crowd as people started to agree with him. They didn't know why the posturing had taken place but had enjoyed watching it.

Vince, who was bemused by it all, was just glad that he would not have to sit through the date with Cameron. He supposed that if Stuart paid the money he would get out of it completely which was good because he had been a bit nervous about going on a blind date.

"Well, unless anyone else wants to top that..." The compeer said. No one answered. No one else had that kind of disposable income.

"Sold, to Stuart Alan Jones, for the price of £1,000." The compeer said.

The other men had stepped off stage to join their dates but Vince paused. He was frozen as he wondered what he should do. If anyone else had bought him he would have stepped off the stage and gone to them but this was Stuart. Vince wasn't exactly sure what he should do.

The decision was made for him when Stuart jumped onto the stage and wrapped a possessive arm around Vince, pulling him into a kiss and snogging him deeply.

The crowd shouted and wolf-whistled at the display which caused Vince's cock to throb and his cheeks to burn. He was embarrassed that he was kissing someone in public but also because he was getting hard because of a kiss from his best friend.

Stuart pulled out of the kiss and revelled the attention. Stuart had always been a bit of an exhibitionist and he got off on the voyeurism of others. It was good to be watched. Still, he had Vince to think of and he knew that the other man was not as comfortable with the scrutiny. He gave Vince one final peck and then led him from the stage.

"I said you look good in that suit." Stuart said as he stopped off to pay for their date.

Vince wondered for a moment if Stuart was going to renege on the deal now that he had saved Vince the embarrassment of having to step out with his ex but Stuart reached for his cheque book and signed away £1000 as if it were pocket change. He didn't bat an eyelid as the cashier took his money.

"Stuart, that's a lot of money..." Vince said, feeling that he should act as his friend's conscience as he often had to. It was Vince that made sure Stuart did a lot of the things that he should do and avoided at least the more dangerous of the ones that he shouldn't.

"You're worth it." Stuart said with no hint of a lie to his voice.

Vince looked down at his feet, unsure how to take the compliment, and was caught off guard when Stuart grabbed his chin and forced his head up.

"You're fantastic, Vince." Stuart said. "Worth more than that, it's just that none of these twats could afford you."

"Thanks." Vince said as he thought the lump that was building in his throat. Stuart hardly ever paid him compliments and now he was getting a whole evening of them.

"So, where did you want to go for our date?" Stuart asked.

Vince shrugged.

"We don't have to do anything." Vince said. "I mean, the charity got their money and I know that you don't really go in for the whole dating thing. I'd hate to ruin your reputation."

"Vince, darling, I've paid for you." Stuart said. "There is no way in hell that I am not going to get my money's worth."

Vince wondered how far Stuart was willing to take this.

"But maybe you should let me take care of things. The date can be redeemed any time within the next month so that gives me some time to plan."

Vince didn't look too convinced.

"Don't worry." Stuart said. "I'll make sure it’s the perfect date."

Vince smiled slightly and then made his way over to Hazel who was waving maniacally at them both.

He didn't want to tell Stuart but the perfect date was exactly what he was afraid of. Dinner he could deal with but anything more than that might come too close to the fantasy. Vince wasn't sure he would be able to go back to being just friends if he got even a small taste of his dreams.

***

***

Vince spent the next week wondering if the entire auction had been a dream. He had not heard from Stuart at all in the last seven days, nor had he seen him down on Canal Street. All calls to his cell went straight to voice mail and Sandra would only say that Stuart was busy with his latest project but she would leave a message that Vince had called. None of his messages were returned.

Vince was starting to worry about his friend when he found a bouquet of flowers sitting on his doorstep when he returned from work. They weren't the cheap variety that they stocked in Harlo's either. There were no wilting carnations or withered blooms in this bunch.

The two dozen roses were displayed in a tasteful arrangement with baby's breath and some other greenery that Vince could not identify. The roses were a mixture of colours, some yellow, some red and some red and yellow. Vince understood enough about the language of flowers to know what they meant. Red was for passion, Yellow was for friendship and it was obvious that the sender was telling him that they had a combination of both.

Vince took the flowers and placed them around on the counter before reaching for the card. He knew who they were from but he wanted to see what Stuart had said. For a man whose living rested on words Stuart was usually brief with the missives that he sent.

Bellagio's 8pm.

Vince knew what the card meant, they were going to meet for dinner and finally go on the date that Stuart had paid for. He wondered if Stuart knew that the Italian was his favourite restaurant. He remembered telling his friend that once but he didn't expect Stuart to remember. He might have asked Hazel or more likely Stuart just had a craving for pasta.

Vince was not about to fool himself that Stuart remembered half of what he said. Just because he remembered every word that Stuart told him didn't mean that anyone else was that sad.

Vince worried for a moment what to wear, and was surprised that there was already a suit laying out on his bed. It was not one that he recognised and for a moment he wondered if Stuart was planning on getting ready there too, it was only as he got closer that he realised there was a note on the fine linen blend suit.

Wear Me.

Vince smiled. He wished that it was Stuart lying on his bed, and that the sign said 'Wear Me Out' but he couldn't have everything.

It would be nice to spend some time alone with his best friend after a week apart. He had to think of it like that because it would never be anything more.  
Vince sighed. He should be happy. At least they could share a nice meal and some conversation. Some people didn't even have that.

Reaching for the suit Vince ran his hands across the soft material and knew that Stuart had chosen well, it was a good fit and felt lovely on. Stuart always knew just what Vince would want, even if he didn't always allow him to have it.

***

Stuart adjusted his tie one final time and then stepped out of the loo. The only time he had ever been this nervous was his first day at school. Since then he always had Vince at his side when he was going to do anything nerve-wracking, that was until tonight.

The past week had been a nightmare for Stuart. He had wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for Vince but had no idea what his friend would like. It was not that he didn't know Vince, because he did, it was just that he had never been on a date in his life.

Stuart didn't have anyone that he could ask about dating either because they would all laugh at him and treat it like a joke. Stuart was taking the date seriously. It was his one chance to give Vince all that he deserved.

So, instead of going to Sandra, Romey or Hazel he had settled on searching the internet for ideas.

The internet had provided a plethora of sites on places to visit in Manchester, places to eat out and places to stay but none of them had told Stuart about the etiquette of taking your best friend out on a date when he was bought and paid for and then giving him the time of his life.

Someone had once told Stuart that you could find everything on the internet. He wasn't inclined to believe them anymore.

Stuart had settled on a restaurant that he knew Vince liked and sending some flowers. Everyone on dates took flowers. Stuart had found a website about the language of flowers though and picked them accordingly. He knew that Vince would probably know something about it because it always amazed him the weird things that Vince knew.

Stuart took a deep breath, checked his keys, wallet, watch and then stepped out towards the car.

Now all he had to worry about was whether or not Vince would show up.

***

Vince paid the driver of the taxi and reminded himself that he was just meeting Stuart for dinner, they had done this before and it would be no different. Just because it had been sold as a date it was nothing more than two friends having dinner together. If it had been a date Stuart would have picked him up, he reminded, and he would have packed condoms and lube on the off chance of a shag. He hadn't bothered because there was no way that he would get to shag Stuart. Of course he hadn't shagged Cameron on their first date, but then again he was an accountant. No, Stuart didn't date and was only doing this as a favour to Vince. He would accept it as a gift and think no more than that.

The restaurant was dark and for a moment Vince wondered if he had made a mistake with the time or venue but then he entered and saw that there was only a smattering of lights.

Candles stood around the centre of the room, highlighting a single table where Stuart sat alone.

Vince made his way over, thinking that it was quiet and it was only halfway towards his date for the evening that he realised that Stuart must have reserved the entire restaurant just for him.

"Just dinner." Vince muttered to himself as he moved towards Stuart.

Stuart stood, leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You look fantastic." Stuart said as he pulled away and looked at Vince. "I ordered us some wine, I hope that was okay."

"'Course." Vince said as he took a seat. "You look good too." He added, feeling a little strange that he could voice the words that he usually had to keep to himself.

"I always look good." Stuart said, his usual cheeky smile showing the confidence that he had in himself.

Vince wished for the thousandth time that he had half as much confidence as Stuart did. If he had he probably would have pinned Stuart down years ago, fucked him and then left to have someone else as dessert.

The waiter came over and handed them menus, halting any further conversation as they looked over them. Of course once there was silence Vince felt that he had to fill it. He had always felt uncomfortable with long silences because it reminded him of dinner with Yvonne and Dudley. Nothing had ever felt more stilted.

"This all looks fab." Vince said. "I'm not sure what to have really. Lasagne is nice but I think I should be a bit more adventurous. I always get the Lasagne when we come out, well that or the Carbonara. You must think I'm boring. But at least I like those. Never even heard of half of these other things..."

Stuart looked over his menu at Vince, his eyes glowing with amusement.

"Get what you want." Stuart said. "You can even order the lobster, I'm paying."

"I've never had lobster before." Vince admitted. "Don't really like shellfish though, not allergic or anything, just think that it gives me bad breath."

"Planning on kissing the waiters?" Stuart teased.

Vince shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Better not get that then. Or anything with garlic in it."

"We're at an Italian restaurant. You might as well tell me to avoid gay men on Canal Street."

"Better not kiss the waiters then." Stuart rationalised. "Probably a good idea too considering we're on a date. I would hate to have to ruin the evening by getting into a fight defending your honour. Not that it would be the first time."

Vince looked down at his menu. He didn't want to think about the past. Not the bad times anyway. He wanted to focus on the time that he had here with Stuart and make the most of it.

"I never did understand why you got together with that Darren. He was a right mean Bastard." Stuart said.

Vince wondered if he could will the parquet floor to open up and swallow him.

"He didn't deserve you." Vince heard Stuart say, and suddenly he didn't want to be devoured by the ground. Looking up he saw that Stuart was staring directly at him. "None of them deserved you. Not Darren, or Jason and especially not that Aussie Bastard, Cameron."

"They were alright." Vince replied weakly, but he knew that none of them had been the person that he wanted to be with. None of them were Stuart.

"So, have you decided what you want?" Stuart asked.

For a moment Vince wondered if Stuart was still talking about boyfriends, and he wanted to say that he had known for sixteen years what he wanted, then he realised that Stuart was talking about food and instead of answering immediately he turned his mind back to the menu.

"I think I'll have the bruschetta with mozzarella followed by the Penne al Funghi."

"Cheese and Tomato Sandwich and Mushroom Pasta." Stuart said with a smile. "At least it's not Lasagne."

"What are you having then?" Vince dared him.

"I think I'll have the Mussels in Red Wine followed by the marinated Veal." Stuart replied.

Vince wondered if he should have picked something more adventurous but for him this was as far out as it got. He lived in a small world of safe choices and limited experience, not like Stuart. Vince didn't want to be adventurous, he liked what he liked and he didn't want to stray too far from that. It was just how he was.

The waiter came and took their orders, refilled their wine glasses and then left them alone. Without a menu to act as a barrier Vince was very aware that he was on his own with Stuart. Usually that didn't worry him but there was something different about being in a seductively lit restaurant with the soft piano music in the background and the man of his wet dreams sitting opposite him bathed in candlelight. The flame seemed to make Stuart's eyes sparkle just that little bit more and...

"Vince?" Stuart asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Vince said distractedly, still watching Stuart's golden skin. Vince shut the door on that thought, realising that he was probably day dreaming like an innocent schoolgirl.

"I think that wine must be going straight to your head." Stuart said, reaching across the table and touching Vince's face. He let his fingers trace a path up Vince's cheek before resting his palm on Vince's forehead. "You're very flushed, are you okay?"

Vince was feeling flushed because Stuart was behaving strangely, paying him compliments, showing concern for him and in this setting he looked more gorgeous than ever but he was not arrogant about it. If Vince didn't know any better he would say that he was being wined and dined and possibly seduced but this was Stuart. Stuart didn't do boyfriends.

"I'm fine." Vince said. "Looking forward to those starters."

The waiter was coming and Stuart reluctantly took his hand back. He would keep an eye on Vince because he was worried about him and he ought to be attentive to his date's needs. At least that was what one of the sites he had checked on the internet said. He ran down a list of suitable dinner conversation topics in his head as he took a shell from his bowl and tasted the mussels. Nothing came immediately to mind.

"How is your food?" Vince asked politely.

"Mmmm." Stuart replied as he bit into the perfectly cooked mussel, not too slimy and not too salty with just enough hint of sauce to make it slide down his throat. "You have to try these."

And without hesitation Vince reached for one and did so.

He wasn't really adventurous and he didn't really like seafood but there was something about tonight that made him want to push the boundaries of the usual. Maybe it was the fact that Stuart was behaving strangely but Vince didn't want to be himself tonight, he wanted to be the interesting and attractive person that Stuart would want to take out on a date. He didn't want to be boring old Vince. He had a fantasy that Stuart would take him out and realise what he had been missing out on all these years. While Vince was far too old to believe that fantasies could come true he could at least make sure that Stuart got his money's worth.

Stuart watched the look that passed over Vince's face as he took his first bite into the tender morsel and smiled when he saw that Vince liked them. His friend was not very adventurous when it came to ordering food but he never shied away from tasting what Stuart had ordered. Stuart loved taking his friend out and allowing him to try new things, as if he was seeing the world through Vince's eyes. Stuart was jaded about a lot in the world but Vince seemed to look for the positive side of everything. He even managed to see something good in Stuart, whom most people thought was irredeemable, and that was one of the reasons that Stuart loved him.

Loving Vince had never been a problem for Stuart, it was fulfilling the physical side of that love that had always worried him. Stuart was by no means a prude but sex was sex and love was love. When the two got confused it usually spelled trouble and Stuart didn't want to ruin what he had with Vince by adding sex to the mix. They were more than friends, if Stuart was a lesbian he would probably describe them as soul mates but even that didn't describe what he felt for Vince.

Stuart knew that Vince wanted him. He had always known but he didn't want anymore than friendship if it ruined the unique dynamic that he and Vince shared.

Tonight he was seeing parts of Vince that he rarely saw. The vulnerable young man that had bravely come out to his new best friend at fifteen was still just as unsure of himself as he was when they first met but still he had agreed to come out with Stuart. The date had not been planned but now they were there both were seeing new sides to the other and for a moment, as he watched Vince taste something new and exciting Stuart wondered if he could do the same.

Stuart reached for a mussel but instead of eating it held it out for Vince.

Vince paused for a moment before leaning forward and taking the small piece of meat between his teeth and biting, it faltered at first and he had to take more into his mouth, inadvertently tasting the saltiness of Stuart's thumb as he did so. Vince didn't think that anything else had ever tasted so divine.

"Nice." He said before he realised that the word was out.

Stuart smiled and used his slightly damp thumb to wipe the excess sauce from Vince's mouth.

"There's more where that came from." Stuart replied and, Vince's starter forgotten, he began to feed his friend more mussels and wine.

When the waiter came to collect the empty dishes he didn't comment on the untouched bruschetta that was pushed to one side. He could see that the men had clearly shared one starter and cleared the table without a word. He wondered if he should only bring one main course but was not brave enough to anger the man that had rented out the whole restaurant for this date. It must be important so he would bring both, not comment if one went untouched and pray that he got a good tip at the end of the night.

***

After the seduction of the first course the main course was a bit of a let down. Vince had let himself get carried away when Stuart was feeding him but the raging hard on from all the light touches had brought him back to reality and now he was back to being himself.

Stuart, who was enjoying the evening immensely, noticed the shift from romantic back to friendly but also noticed that Vince seemed more comfortable now so he allowed it to happen and instead turned the conversation back to areas where he felt more at home.

Vince was a little upset that Stuart gave in so easily. He knew that he was being foolish but surely Stuart was not going to give up completely just as he had backed off. Vince did not want to fall for Stuart's charms, in fact he chided himself for the fact that he had let Stuart do it at all, but it was flattering that Stuart had wanted to try.

By the time dessert arrived both men were working through the turmoil of emotions that the evening had flooded them with.

Vince had ordered a light lemon mousse. It was not the most traditional Italian dessert but he knew he would enjoy it. Stuart chose the tiramasu, explaining to Vince that it was delicious, and insisted that Vince try it. Vince had done so, taking the spoon from Stuart instead of allowing himself to be fed. He had to admit that it was nice but he preferred his mousse. He was about to turn back to his dessert when Stuart stopped him.

"Come here." Stuart said, leaning over the table and moving towards Vince.

Vince froze, wondering if Stuart was about to kiss him, instead of feeling those full lips on his own a cold tongue licked the tip of his nose.

"You had chocolate on your nose." Stuart explained when he pulled away. Vince did not move, too scared to as Stuart kept a hold of his chin. There was a brief moment where Stuart seemed to think about what to do and then he dove in for a kiss.

Vince could not move away and was surprised to hear the clatter as he dropped his fork, his hand reaching up instinctively to lapse into Stuart's hair. Stuart pulled away and for a brief moment Vince thought that he had misunderstood, then he saw Stuart shift around the table, pulling a chair with him and then leaning back towards Vince.

"Stuart, we can't..." Vince tried to protest as he realised that Stuart was getting closer to him to deepen the kiss. He didn't want this to get too out of hand.

"We can." Stuart replied, his eyes dark with desire as he leaned in to kiss Vince again.

Vince pushed his chair back and tried to move out of Stuart's way. There were a million reasons why Vince wanted to carry on kissing Stuart but the only reason for not doing it overruled them all. If they shagged then Vince knew that it was inevitable that he would lose Stuart, not only lose him as a potential boyfriend but lose him as a friend, because there was no way that they would be able to look at each other in the morning.

"Stuart!" Vince said, pushing him away firmly so that his best friend would get the message. "Remember where we are."

Stuart's breath was ragged, his eyes dark with desire, but eventually he managed to regain enough of his composure to look at Vince and see himself kneeling on the floor of the restaurant with his kiss swollen lips. Vince was right, this was not the place to ravish him.

"Let's go back to mine." Stuart said, his voice deep with desire and his Irish brogue showing through.

Vince wondered how many other men had heard those words, how many more would hear those words after Stuart had him. For a moment he didn't care but he knew that this was not going to work.

"Just because you bought me dinner, doesn't mean I'm going to shag you." Vince said. He hadn't meant the words to be angry but they were because he didn't think that Stuart thought so little of their friendship. Vince stood and walked out of the restaurant, forgetting the jacket that he had left on the back of his chair.

Stuart stood slowly and could only look on as his friend walked out. He had a bill to settle and some thinking to do because he couldn't work out what he had done wrong.

The mess of dinner lay on the table, but that was nothing compared to the mess that their friendship was in.

***

***

Vince stopped at the off licence on his way back to his flat and picked up a bottle of the cheapest vodka that he could lay his hands on. He hesitated over a six pack of cokes to mix it with but decided straight was better because it would help him forget more quickly.

Vince was already buzzed from the wine over dinner. He had been a little drunk and high on the compliments that Stuart was paying him but he had let his guard down and knew that now he would pay the price. Stuart teased, tormented, flirted and fondled but had never gotten so far as to invite Vince back to his before, at least not with a shag in mind. This would probably take some work to get past and Vince wasn't sure if Stuart would want to try again this time. Their friendship had been rocky since the incident at Vince's birthday and perhaps this would be the proverbial straw on the camel's back of their friendship.

Vince paid for his vodka, glad that he had thought to bring money with him, and then headed home. The door to his flat was ajar when he arrived and for a moment he wondered if he had forgotten to pull it closed behind him but when he entered he knew that it was Stuart that was there.

"You walked out on me." Stuart said accusingly. "That's not being a very good date."

"I really don't want to talk about this now." Vince replied firmly as he moved into the kitchen and grabbed two shot glasses. He wasn't sure if Stuart was going to drink but if he was going to be forced to face this now then Vince needed one.

Usually when Stuart brought Vince's feelings to the surface, as at Phil's funeral, he needed a couple of days to lick his wounds and bury the feelings again. He was feeling too raw right now but if Stuart had followed him home then he was not going to let up.

"Well, tough." Stuart said. "I do."

"Stuart. Please, just go home." Vince pleaded. "I can't do this now."

"Oh, I see..." Stuart said darkly. "You've got a shag coming over, don't want to fuck me but you've picked someone up to take my place."

Vince let out a short bark of laughter as he did a shot. Someone to replace Stuart? He'd been searching for someone to replace Stuart for sixteen years but no one had ever matched up to him, even when he was being a complete Bastard Vince loved him.

"You think it's funny?" Stuart asked. "I'm willing to risk everything for you and you're laughing."

"That's good sex." Vince replied, but the joke fell flat. Vince was trying to keep it light but when Stuart didn't respond he knew that Stuart was dead set on having this talk now.

"Okay, you want to talk, so let's talk." Vince said as he poured another shot, downed it and then poured another. "Tell me why you suddenly want me after sixteen years of not giving a toss."

"Oh, I gave a toss." Stuart replied with a wicked grin. "I've had more than one wank thinking about you over the years."

"If you're not going to take this seriously then get out." Vince snapped. "I didn't want to talk about this but you insisted."

Stuart sighed.

"I had a good time at dinner." Stuart said.

"That's no reason to throw away sixteen years of friendship for a shag." Vince said. "We go out to dinner all the time and you've never wanted to shag me before."

"I have." Stuart replied.

Vince scoffed in disbelief.

"Really." Stuart added sincerely. "I just thought that we were friends. That there was love there so there couldn't be sex."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive."

"I thought they were." Stuart replied. "At least until tonight."

Vince raised an eyebrow, still not hearing anything that would convince him of Stuart's change of heart.

"I've never been on a date before, not for anything personal like this. I've never needed to impress someone to shag them, never really needed to make an effort but I *wanted* to make that effort with you, Vince." Stuart said. "I needed to, and I thought I would hate being out with you on a date but I loved it. It felt like it does when we're out with Alfie or doing something for Hazel. It felt right. And it's never felt that way before, not with someone that I wanted sex with. There's always this tension, like I have to take what I want and then throw them out the next day."

"You reject them before they can reject you." Vince replied. "Get out before they start to talk about feelings and emotions and all the other things that make you feel uncomfortable."

"Yeah." Stuart said softly, looking down at his feet as if it cost him a lot to admit to this.

"You don't think I know that." Vince said. "I've had sixteen years to watch you take home everything with a pulse. I've seen how you operate Stuart and while I sometimes wonder how you get away with it I've never doubted your motives. That's exactly why we can't shag."

Stuart's brow furrowed in confusion.

"If we fuck, you won't be able to look at me in the morning. I'll just be another trick that you have to try and avoid on the street, who you'll dismiss with an off-handed comment like 'had him', or 'came in fifteen seconds flat'. I've been a lot of things to you in the past Stuart, I've put up with a lot of shit, but I can't take that."

"I wouldn't do that." Stuart denied.

"The problem is that I know you would." Vince said. "Sixteen years and you've never once broken the pattern."

"This is different." Stuart argued. "I love you."

"Well, sometimes love isn't enough." Vince replied.

"You don't even want to try." Stuart said. "Sixteen years you've been waiting and now I finally ask and you don't even want to try."

"I haven't been waiting for you to ask me." Vince said. "I've been waiting for you to change."

"So you admit I can change."

"No." Vince said sounding resigned. "I just fooled myself into believing you could."

Stuart opened his mouth, wanting to argue that he could change, that he would show Vince just how much he would change but Vince took a sip of his vodka and let out a sigh. Vince looked defeated.

"Get out." Vince said, all the fight in him gone. He looked lost and confused and all Stuart wanted was to see the light in Vince's eyes again.

"I won't leave you like this." Stuart argued. "Not when I don't know where we stand."

Vince sighed.

"Go home, Stuart. I'll call you in a few days when things are a little less raw." Vince said. "You can tell me about your shags and we'll pretend like none of this ever happened."

"I don't want that." Stuart said.

"Well, tough." Vince replied. "That's all I'm willing to give."

Stuart saw the rigid determination on Vince's face and knew that he would not get anything else out of him tonight. He turned and left, hoping that he had not completely ruined their friendship.

Vince heard the door click and finished his vodka, contemplating another shot. He wanted to say he felt as if he had lost a million dollars and found a dime but it was worse than that. Vince had lost the love of his love and didn't think that he would find anything to make up for that.

***

***

"Jesus Christ, what the *fuck* happened to you last night?" Sandra asked Stuart as she brought him his coffee the next morning. "You look like death warmed up."

"Fuck off." Stuart replied as he took a gulp of the too hot coffee and then nearly dropped the cup. "Fuck!" He said as he coughed at the scalding hot liquid which had burned his throat. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"You'd know if I wanted you dead." Sandra replied. "But you pay me too much to do you in."

Usually Stuart would laugh, or trade some barb with her about her making sure that she earned that money then but today he didn't come back and Sandra knew that there was something wrong.

"Stuart, what is it?" She asked, the concern evident in her voice.

Stuart blinked up at her as if he was not expecting the question and then shrugged. He wasn't sure that he could tell her about his evening with Vince, wasn't sure if he could trust anyone with such sensitive information about him. Vince was the only one that Stuart let see this side of him and Vince had already made it clear that he did not want to talk to him.

"I need to go." Stuart said, standing suddenly and almost spilling his coffee as he did so.

"You've got a meeting with Burton at 11." Sandra reminded him. Stuart did not stop. "Don't worry I'll cancel it." She added as she saw how flustered Stuart was.

Sandra knew that there was definitely something wrong but she cared too much about Stuart to let it go. After Stuart was out of the office she returned to her desk and cancelled his appointment with Burton before flipping through her rolodex for the number that she wanted.

"He's not with me." Vince said as he answered his phone.

"Vince," Sandra began, "I wasn't looking for him. I know where he was because he just stormed out of the office like a bat out of hell. I called you because I'm worried about him. I've never seen Stuart acting like this before. Is there something wrong with Alfie?"

"No." Vince replied.

"His parents?"

"No." Vince said with a sigh. "Look, Sandra, I know you're worried about him but there really isn't anything to worry about. Stuart is just being his usual bastard self."

"Oh God." Sandra said, hearing Vince call him a bastard she felt the puzzle pieces click into place. "He finally did it, didn't he?"

"Did what?" Vince asked.

"He finally shagged you."

"No." Vince said, sounding irate. "That's never going to happen."

"Oh My God." She said, even more surprised. "You turned him down."

"Sandra, not that it is any of your bloody business, but I value my friendship with Stuart too much to do that."

"You idiot!" Sandra said. "Stuart is in love with you."

"No, he's not." Vince replied adamantly.

"Oh, he is." Sandra said. "And if you can't see it then you’re more blind than Stuart has been not to notice you for the last sixteen years."

"Sandra. You don't know Stuart like I do…"

"No, I know him better." Sandra interrupted. "I've worked with Stuart for ten years and I have never seen him as wound up as when you two have a fight and when you tell him off for something he always walks around with a look on his face like a little boy who lost his puppy for a few days until you let him off the hook. Stuart doesn't think about anyone but himself usually but he would walk through fire for you. You should have seen him before your birthday, he spent days on the phone tracking down that K-9 just to see the smile on your face."

"We're friends." Vince said flatly.

"I've got friends, Vince, and none of them have ever risked going to prison to track down one of my ex-boyfriends to make sure that they don't come back." Sandra said. "Dominic Baxter was in hospital for three weeks eating through a tube after Stuart finished with him. I don't have friends that would do that for me."

"He had a car accident." Vince responded.

"And who told you that?"

"Well Stuart did, but..." Vince trailed off as the words sunk in. As he realised what Stuart had done, what he had risked for him and what he had done every time since then to show Vince that he loved him in a hundred different ways. Vince always thought that it was friendship between them but what if Sandra was right and Stuart actually wanted more.

"What have I done?" Vince asked no one in particular as he thought about sending Stuart away from his flat, telling him to get out. He had dismissed him and no one rejected Stuart Alan Jones and got away with it.

"I figure if he's not going to you then he'll go to the one other man that won't judge him."

"Alfie." Vince said, as if a light bulb came on in his head. "Thanks Sandra." He said as he started towards the door.

"That's alright, just tell that Irish Bastard to give me some notice to buy my hat." But there was no one on the other end of the phone, Vince was already going out to get his man and Sandra hoped that this time he would not let go.

***

***

Romey answered the door looking flustered as she tried desperately to keep Alfie inside the house while his daddy pulled into the driveway. She knew that Alfie was going to turn into a typical boy racer who loved cars because he could already recognise the sound of his father's jeep from halfway down the street. He waited at the door like a puppy waiting for his master to return and babbled until she would open the door.

"Dadda." Alfie screeched with glee as Stuart strode up the path towards him. Usually Stuart would call her before a visit and he rarely came during the day. That alone was enough to worry Romey that something was wrong, but Stuart never had been one for predictable behaviour.

"No work today?" She joked, but Stuart ignored her and instead went straight to his son.

Romey knew in that instant that something had hit Stuart hard. He only came to reconnect with his son when something had shaken his world. Alfie gave Stuart unconditional love and Stuart hadn't received a lot of that in his life.

"Stuart, what's wrong?" Romey asked as Stuart took his son and sat down on the couch with him firmly in his lap.

Stuart ignored her.

Alfie babbled happily to his father, using the baby speak that only Alfie could understand and Stuart listened with a small smile. He placed a kiss on Alfie's forehead and then leaned his head back on the sofa, still watching his son.

Romey was about to ask again when there was a buzz at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone so she assumed it was a delivery and headed to the door. She was surprised to find Vince standing on the other side.

"Is he here?" Vince asked, pushing past her in a manner that was so unlike Vince that it nearly knocked Romey off her feet.

"Stuart?" Vince called as he entered the room.

"Papa." Alfie said, wriggling in his father's lap as he saw Vince enter the room. Stuart smiled sarcastically and set his son down.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"It's a good job he doesn't understand you." Vince said, ignoring the lump in his throat and trying to sound light-hearted. "You could scar the poor lad for life."

"I thought I wasn't going to see you for a few days." Stuart replied sarcastically. "I thought that you got a better offer. Unless you only came to see my son. Guess I have something you want after all."

"Stuart, I want a lot more from you than your son."

"Yeah, but it turns out that you don't want that shag so I'm trying to work out what the fuck it is that you do want."

"I want you." Vince said. "I want more than the full fuck, I want the works. I want the dinners for two and the white picket fence. I want nights out that don't end up at Babylon with you pulling some fit bloke but with *us* going back to *ours*. I want it all, Stuart."

"You didn't last night."

"I was scared last night."

"What changed your mind?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me about what happened with Dominic?" Vince asked, in an apparent non-sequiter.

"What do you mean?" Stuart asked. "He had a car accident. I told you that. I don't know what happened to the Bastard after that. Hopefully he crawled back under whatever rock he came from and stayed there."

"Sandra told me what you did. How you risked everything for me."

"I look after my friends." Stuart replied. "I always have. That doesn't explain why you suddenly want to settle down with me when you were dead against it last night."

"It's not sudden." Vince said as he took the seat next to Stuart and watched Alfie playing on the floor. "This has been building for sixteen years."

"I said that last night." Stuart replied.

"Yeah, I know, but I think I'm ready to listen now." Vince said.

"What?" Stuart asked.

"You've been telling me you loved me for the last sixteen years, I just haven't heard it until today. I haven't realised that you wanted me that way."

"I don't think even I knew." Stuart told him honestly. "I saw you in a different light and suddenly it seemed like the most stupid thing in the world that we had never shagged."

"Well, there was that time with Barry Sheene." Vince responded.

"That doesn't count. You didn't come."

"I could though." Vince said. "If we tried it."

"You'd bloody well better." Stuart replied, pulling Vince towards him for a kiss and completely catching Vince off guard.

Romey, who had stayed outside when she heard them talking, came into the room to see the two in an embrace on the sofa and Alfie, who was playing with his toys, clapping his hands in glee. She wasn't sure what she had missed but she was pretty sure it was big news.

"We'll get out of your hair." Stuart said when he finally pulled away. Vince appeared to be stunned into silence.

"BuhBye" Alfie said waving as Stuart said they were going. Vince allowed Stuart to drag him out of the door but did not reply to his Godson.

There was definitely something going on and Romey was going to find out what.

***

***

Hazel was standing on a chair, halfway through washing her windows when the phone rang. She thought about ignoring it for a moment but then realised that it could be the hospital calling about Alex's dad and decided it would be better for everyone if she took that call. She was surprised to see Romey's number appear on the phone.

"Vince isn't here." Hazel said automatically. "He's supposed to be at the store, so if that Irish bastard was meant to pick his son up then you ought to speak to him."

"I'm not looking for Stuart, he's just been here." Romey replied patiently. "So was Vince."

"So, why are you calling?" Hazel asked. "I assume it's not for parenting advice."

"Something was wrong with Stuart, he seemed out of sorts but Vince came in and the pair of them flew out of here together like a pair of bats out of hell."

"And you think that Stuart has gotten my son involved in some kind of trouble?"

"I'm not sure." Romey said.

"Is Alfie with them?" Hazel asked with concern.

"No." Romey said. "He's here. Today isn't even Stuart's day to see him."

"Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this, and when I do I'll show Stuart Alan Jones exactly what happens when you mess with the Tylers."

***

***

They'd gone back to Stuarts flat and Vince couldn't help but have a small amount of performance anxiety as he thought about all of the other men that had been here.

"Stop thinking." Stuart said as he kissed Vince while opening the door. "We've had sixteen years of worrying about whether or not this is the right thing to do, how's about we get on with doing it. Unless you had something else to do."

"Hmmm." Vince said pretending to think about what he wanted to do instead of sex.

"How about I make you a drink while you think about it?" Stuart said, starting to walk away only to find that Vince pounced on him before he had taken less than a step.

"Nope." Vince said. "I've decided that there's nowhere else that I would rather be."

Stuart smiled and turned, lifting Vince off his feet and spinning around until they were both dizzy. Vince was laughing his head off and met Stuart in a soft kiss.

They carried on kissing, Stuart's hands finding Vince's shirt and slowly undressing him as they continued to touch each other. Vince's own hands were desperately trying to work their way into Stuart's clothes, wanting more than anything to touch skin, and finally managed to reveal his bare back.

Stuart manoeuvred them towards the bedroom, Vince sans shirt and Stuart with his back exposed, before they had to break for air.

It was almost as if a switch had been flipped when Vince realised where he was and he was sobered again by the thought of all the men that had been here and all of the men that had fucked Stuart in this bed.

"What do you like doing?" Stuart asked.

"Anything." Vince replied nervously.

"Really?" Stuart was surprised by that, he was sure that Vince was pretty vanilla.

"Well, I'm not into water sports or anything, but yeah, pretty much anything else." Vince said, blushing as he realised that this was his best friend that he was talking to.

Stuart sat on the end of the bed and pulled Vince to him by his belt loops. He rested his forehead on Vince's stomach and Vince's hands automatically came up to go around his shoulders. Stuart placed a soft kiss on Vince's belly and then reached for the fastening of his trousers and unzipped them. Vince shivered in anticipation as Stuart pushed his trousers and underwear out of the way.

Stuart kissed Vince's stomach again and then leaned back, pulling the almost naked Vince on top of him as he laid back on the bed. Vince lay for a moment unsure of what to do and then felt Stuart shift so that Vince was on the bottom. Stuart leaned back, pulling Vince's slacks off the rest of the way and then reaching to undo his own.

A wicked grin spread across Stuart's face as he thought about what he could do for Vince and he stood back from the bed to remove his clothes. Vince didn't notice at first but after a few moments he looked up to see that Stuart was moving sensually, removing his clothing much more slowly than required. He was giving Vince a show and Vince reached down and stroked his cock lightly as he watched Stuart's clothes tumble around him in a teasing dance.

"I want to taste you." Stuart said, as he heeled off his shoes and slid down his already unfastened trousers. "I want to lick every inch of your body to find out which part of you is sweetest."

"Yeah?" Vince asked, finding his cock impossibly hard at the thought.

"Oh, yeah." Stuart sighed as he crawled up over the bed and over the top of Vince. "And I'm going to start right..."

"STUART ALAN JONES, WHAT THE FUCK..."

Stuart jumped at the sound of the voice and was halfway to the doorway before he realised that it was Hazel and that he was completely naked. Stuart wasn't embarrassed for himself as much as he was for Vince.

"Oh, fuck." Hazel said as she saw her son laying on the bed.

"Mum..." Vince said, jumping up.

"Put the kettle on." Stuart said. "I expect that you'll be wanting to talk about this."

"I can go." Hazel said, sounding sheepish as she realised that she had done it again.

"No, it's alright." Stuart replied, much to both Tylers disappointment. "I think the mood is gone. Give us a few minutes to get decent and we'll be out."

Stuart shut the bedroom door to and opened his wardrobe, fishing out a silk kimono gown and passing a slightly longer terrycloth one to Vince.

"I should have known this wasn't meant to be." Vince said darkly as he wrapped himself up in the warmth of the gown. He took a deep breath as he realised that he was deliciously enveloped in Stuart's scent.

Stuart leaned over, pulling Vince to him and initiated a fierce snog.

"We've waited sixteen years, a few more minutes while we have a cup of tea with your mother won't change my mind. Besides, if we play our cards right we can make sure that Hazel makes excuses for us and we'll have the rest of the week to spend in bed."

Vince nodded, leaning his face into Stuart's chest as he wasn't quite ready to go out and face his mother.

Stuart disentangled himself from Vince's arms and slid down to his knees, opening Vince's robe and taking his hard cock in his mouth without a word of warning.

"Stuart." Vince scolded through gritted teeth. "My mother is just outside."

Stuart ignored Vince and instead continued his oral assault on Vince's cock. It didn't take long, Vince was hard as nails and knowing that it was Stuart only added to his need. Stuart deep-throated Vince down to the root of his cock and after only a few minutes Vince came, one hand in Stuart's hair and the other forming a fist that he bit down on to silence his cries. When he had finished Stuart closed the dressing gown and stood up, taking Vince's hand and placing a soft kiss on the bite marks from his lover's climax. He linked their hands and then opened the bedroom door, going out to face Hazel who was placing tea cups and saucers on the counter with the care of a proper English butler.

"Everything okay?" Hazel asked softly, her cheeks slightly red as she tried to hide the embarrassment of walking in on her two boys.

"Brilliant." Stuart said.

Hazel's eyes fell on Vince who was trying his best to hide his gaze from his mother.

"Vince?"

"Mum...Stuart and I...We went out last night and... We're going to give it a go..."

"Yeah?" Hazel asked.

"Oh, bloody hell." Stuart said with a sigh. "Hazel Ann Tyler, I'm in love with your son, and whether you like it or not we're together and are staying together."

Hazel smiled, grabbing her handbag and coat and heading for the door.

"Mum?" Vince asked uncertainly as he watched her retreating figure.

"I'll leave you boys to it." She said. "But I expect you to come over for tea tonight."

"Make it breakfast tomorrow." Stuart replied. "I have plans for tonight."

Hazel turned, her eyes meeting Stuart's and she looked as if she was about to have a go.

"I know, Hazel." Stuart said, as if she had already spoken. "Don't worry, if I break his heart I'll cut off my own bollocks and give them to you on a silver platter. I meant it when I said that I love your son and I have no intention of fucking this up."

Hazel nodded and left, making sure that she locked the door behind her. Stuart followed and put on the dead bolt so that even busybodies with keys would not be able to get in this time.

"So, where were we?" He asked as he returned to Vince and snogged him again.

"Stuart, I can't just..."

"It's okay." Stuart said. "Did you want a drink?"

Vince smiled.

"Tea would be good."

And so the two of them sat at the counter in only their robes, a cup of tea and a packet of biscuits between them, and talked as if they were a normal civilized couple sharing afternoon tea. Stuart thought if this was what regular couples did that he could get used to it.

***

***

After tea Vince and Stuart had settled on the sofa and watching TV. Vince had been surprised to find that Stuart was recording Doctor Who on his Sky Plus box so they were watching their way through the new series, Vince's head resting on Stuart's shoulder tucked under Stuart's arm. Stuart's hand played with the edges of Vince's robe, stroking the soft material and causing the roughness of it to rub against Vince's skin causing a teasing friction that was slowly making Vince hard.

"I knew you had a hard on for that new doctor." Stuart said as the current episode finished.

"Fuck off." Vince replied with a small smile to belie his words. "At least I don't fancy that Mickey Smith. Still, after Nathan, I should have known that you preferred chickens."

"Oi! I'm fucking you aren't I?"

"Not at the moment." Vince replied.

Stuart growled and allowed his wandering hand to slide down into Vince's robe and stroke his hardening cock. Vince jumped and Stuart smiled, turning his friend over onto his back and climbing on top of him. Vince responded by opening Stuart's kimono in an attempt to escape and both of them were naked, cocks rubbing against each other as they fought breathlessly.

"Bedroom..." Vince murmured as he reached up to snog Stuart.

"Too far." Stuart replied as he reached down to stroke Vince's cock along with his own.

Vince panted and his dick grew harder as Stuart found the right speed and friction. Stuart continued to get them both off with a long, slow wank. It was the second time that Vince had come that day and he knew he would not last long.

"Stuart..." Vince said as he tried hard to fight his climax. "I want you inside me."

"Not this time."

"Please..." Vince begged.

Stuart took a deep breath, pulling back slightly as he tried to calm himself enough to take stock of their situation. Vince was pleading with his eyes and Stuart let out a short nod, reaching towards the coffee table behind him and pulling out a condom and sachet of lube.

Vince pulled up his legs, allowing Stuart to reposition him so that he had access to his arse and then he felt the cooling sensation of lube against his puckered hole. Stuart was usually an attentive lover that would spend time preparing his lover, enjoying the foreplay as much as they did, but he knew that Vince would not last long and neither would he. He slid two slickly coated fingers inside Vince, making sure that he prepared the way, gradually spreading his fingers and making room for a third.

Vince gasped as he felt the familiar stretch. He didn't like to indulge too often, feeling that he would only bottom that he trusted, but he was enjoying this more than he thought he had ever done before. He was just getting used to the sensation when he felt the fingers leave him.

"Stuart..." Vince said, feeling bereft of the feeling of being full.

"Shhh..." Stuart said as he slid the condom down his own cock and then spread a little more lube on it before moving towards Vince. It took a moment, slowly working his way in, until he was fully in and then Stuart allowed Vince a chance to get used to him before he moved.

"Oh. My. God." Vince said as he felt Stuart moving inside him, this was better than any of his fantasies, he had never imagined that any shag could be this good.

"Nearly there." Stuart said as he continued to move, changing his pace and position slightly so that he could find Vince's prostate. Vince knew the exact moment that Stuart had found it because he saw stars. He felt his own climax coming, feeling the tightening of his balls just before he came. Vince's orgasm forced him to tighten his muscles, it felt as if all of his nerves were on fire, and he heard Stuart panting hard. It took Stuart only one more thrust and he too was coming.

Vince started to laugh after a moment.

Stuart wondered what was so funny and looked down at his friend and then he saw the tears in Vince's eyes.

"Vince?" Stuart asked, the concern showing on his face and causing Vince to laugh a little more.

Stuart was worried that he had hurt his friend and moved to pull out but Vince shook his head furiously and tried to calm down.

Understanding dawned on Stuart as he realised that Vince was overwhelmed by it all and he reached out, linking their hands and smiling as their silver bracelets knocked together.

Vince's breathing slowed and Stuart finally detached himself from Vince and reached for his robe to clean them up, apparently not caring that it would ruin the expensive silk.

"Come on." Stuart said, slowly lowering Vince's legs and pulling his friend to his feet. Vince was still a little shaky and teetered slightly, leaning on Stuart as his friend led them towards the bedroom. Vince was a little sore but carried on smiling.

"I always thought I'd laugh." Vince said, his mind clouded with the post-orgasmic afterglow.

"You did." Stuart replied.

"Oh." Vince said, not sure if that was a good thing.

"It's okay, sex is meant to be fun." Stuart said. "And I knew that you weren't laughing at me."

Vince took a few more steps and then stopped.

"Was it okay?" He asked nervously. He knew that Stuart had a lot of experience and if he wasn't a good enough shag then maybe his friend would feel the need to look elsewhere for satisfaction.

"Best I've ever had." Stuart replied.

"But I thought you'd fucked twenty-seven million blokes here?"

"Yeah, but I've only made love to one." Stuart said, placing a soft kiss on Vince's mouth. "Now, get under the covers and get some rest, we've got to face breakfast with your mother in the morning."

"Oh. God." Vince said, burrowing his head and hiding under the covers as the shameful memories of earlier came back to him.

Stuart laughed and pulled the duvet from Vince, climbing in behind him before covering them again.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Vince asked, still slightly out of it. "Or is this a dream?"

"It's not a dream, Vince." Stuart replied. "This is forever."

***

***

*Epilogue*

"You know that I don't usually fuck on the first date." Vince said as he stirred his tea. "Just so you know."

"It's not like it was really your first date." Hazel replied. "You two have been courting for sixteen years."

"Yeah, but..." Vince started. "I just don't want you to think that your son puts out on the first date."

"He better not." Stuart added. "There won't be any more dates from now on."

"Oh, two days and already the romance is dead." Vince replied.

"No, you twat, I mean that their won't be anymore first dates." Stuart said, tapping Vince upside the head. "It's only you and me from now on."

"It always has been." Hazel replied.

Hazel smiled and looked at her two boys, the love shining unbridled in both their eyes, and realised that this was what she had always wanted. Most parents wanted a good career or a dozen grandchildren from their kids but Hazel had only ever wanted for her boys to be happy and she could see that for the first time that they truly were.

 

***

***

The End


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